SAINT ETIENNE – After a promising opening weekend, the place Georgia was dispatched with relative consolation and conviction, Australia’s World Cup took a darkish flip through the second week. Shedding Taniela Tupou was one factor, however Will Skelton, blossoming as captain, following him onto the Medicab was scarcely plausible.
Each succumbed to comfortable tissue accidents sustained at coaching. Not a brand new phenomenon for the Wallabies lately, and the topic of a evaluation commissioned on the finish of the 2022 season, the findings of which had been by no means publicly launched.
From exterior the internal sanctum, it’s pointless speculating concerning the trigger and the extent of every damage. However there may be greater than a whiff of historical past repeating itself.
The official line was that Skelton can be given proper up till the final minute to show his health. That additionally felt greater than a bit whiffy, and so it proved when Skelton was seen getting into the stadium dragging a moon boot.
Australia being with out their two energy forwards thus opened the door, not for historical past to repeat itself however, however for historical past to be written. Fiji’s win in St Etienne was simply their fourth towards Australia, the primary since 1972, and far more convincing than the 22-15 score-line instructed.
Tupou’s absence meant a heavy onus handed on to Angus Bell, who duly obliged with a robust early hit up, organising Ben Donaldson’s opening penalty objective.
As anticipated, Fiji threw the whole lot on the Wallabies; laborious, early and infrequently, however the Wallabies’ lateral protection was pretty much as good because it has been all yr, and the tackling prepared.
All over the place, the collisions had been jarring; this was no place for half-measures, with or with out the ball.
When Fiji intelligently labored house for giant Semi Radradra to get a menacing rumble on, Samu Kerevi lined him up and smashed him into the turf with conviction. Payback was Josua Tuisova isolating and going full steamroller on Carter Gordon. Minutes later, Tuisova repeated the dose on Rob Valetini, seemingly only for enjoyable.
Semi Radradra of Fiji speaks with Mark Nawaqanitawase of Australia after exchanging their match shirts. (Photograph by Pauline Ballet – World Rugby/World Rugby by way of Getty Photos)
The sport broke open within the 24th minute when Rory Arnold was afforded extraordinary licence by referee Andrew Brace to hook a turnover again off the deck. Nic White wasn’t ready round to argue the niceties, ripping off an impressive 50:22, for Mark Nawaqanitawase to show himself sharpest man on the pitch and engineer himself a attempt from the fast throw-in, albeit the throw in not fairly going the total 5 metres.
Issues had been properly poised at halftime, however went south for the Wallabies quickly after, Gordon and Nawaqanitawase getting their wires crossed on a excessive kick, leaving Tuisova with an unattended quick lane to the attempt line.
One factor the Wallabies did properly within the first half to be decisive of their defensive determination making, As is critical towards a strong, in-your-face opponent. This was a traditional mine/yours outfield cricket catch snafu, the place the error, if there was to be one, wanted each gamers to be committing to the ball, not each seeing the opposite out of the nook of their eye, and pulling out.
The second half degenerating into an arm-wrestle favoured just one aspect. Fiji was profitable the collision, the turnover, the scrum and the maul, and with it, the penalty depend. They usually had been doing simply sufficient of their weakest swimsuit, the lineout.
Ben Donaldson of Australia seems to be dejected at full-time following the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photograph by Chris Hyde/Getty Photos)
Questioning the place a circuit-breaker would possibly come for the Wallabies, Nick Frost ambling throughout area into an outmanned contact state of affairs spoke to an absence of ‘go-forward’ focus.
Joran Uelese charging into the hip of a Fijian decoy runner spoke to desperation minus the requisite finesse.
Ben Donaldson nudging a penalty kick 10 metres to the 10m line as an alternative of the 5m line spoke to an absence of function and confidence.
What the Wallabies did have although was loads of resolve, and an environment friendly maul within the 68th minute opened the door for Suliasi Vunivalu to ferret his approach over. With a superb exit from Donaldson, steals from Matt Philip and Frost, and issues again to a one-score recreation, instantly it was Fiji who had been below strain.
Fiji held their nerve nonetheless, and held their passes. Supplied one ultimate probability to go 60 metres for a draw, the Wallabies ultimate effort got here to nothing; Andrew Brace giving the Fijian scrum the pay they in all probability ought to have had a lot earlier.
Worthy winners, Fiji might need helped themselves extra if not for his or her tendency to disregard the apparent route by the fingers, and overuse the floating miss go to their wingers.
On the plus aspect, spectacular goalkicking by halfback Simione Kuruvoli, who struck a powerful 5 objectives till changed early within the second half, was an illustration of a mature aspect with readability of mission, completely satisfied to build up factors.
Publish-mortems and free recommendation will little doubt come thick and quick for the Wallabies. However regardless of the damage and injury, there mustn’t be a clouding of what’s required this week; a fast dusting off and a full concentrate on Wales.
That’s simpler stated than executed; the prospect of an early journey house looms giant, however coach Eddie Jones, simply as he did when speaking to media instantly afterwards, will do all he can to put on the flak, and hold his ‘younger crew’ – and all its flaws – on the very best path ahead.
With Group C everybody’s favorite, enjoyable group – other than the Wallabies – there are nonetheless many potentialities in retailer. Who is aware of how essential Wales scratching out two late tries towards Portugal on Saturday, or Frank Lomani’s late penalty miss – which did not deprive Australia of a bonus level – will show?
All over the place else, the second weekend of matches went largely to plan, by way of anticipated winners and losers, though how every of the primary contenders acquired there was fairly a combined bag.
Uruguay is a crew on the up, they usually triggered France loads of complications, with the 27-12 score-line just one level bigger than New Zealand’s loss on opening evening. Which sort of units issues up fantastically for when the All Blacks and Uruguay conflict in Lyon, on the 5th October.
Having made quite a few adjustments from Paris, France’s second unit might need anticipated a extra fluent, and percentage-boosting win. However within the swimming pools the place there are two clear standouts and the remaining – with due respect to Italy – the matches towards the so-called ‘Tier Two’ nations don’t carry an enormous significance.
Run some gamers into kind, keep damage free, tick it off and transfer on to the following one.
Oh, and don’t choose up any purple playing cards alongside the best way! New Zealand fell brief on this regard, Ethan De Groot carelessly turning his shoulder into contact and struggling a deserved sanction. Two matches after tackle-school low cost will nonetheless see him obtainable for the quarter-final, but it surely’s honest to say that his World Cup hasn’t gone to plan to date.
There was quite a bit to love concerning the All Blacks’ efficiency, most notably their intent. The need to play expansively was ever-present however, save for a skittery ultimate ten minutes, there was a refreshing directness and ease to their recreation.
The All Blacks now have the perfect a part of a fortnight off till they sort out Italy, who will present considerably extra complications than what the Namibians had been capable of present. That must also coincide with the return of Sam Cane, Shannon Frizell and Jordie Barrett, and a change of substances approaching the enterprise finish of the match.
Eire managed to sneak by the primary week, and acquired by their bruise-a-thon towards Tonga; comfortably on the scoreboard, much less so within the residing of it. Regardless of the thrill round France and South Africa to date, they gained’t handle to sneak below the radar for for much longer.
Having survived criticism for loading too many forwards onto their bench, South Africa duly changed their injured hooker, Malcolm Marx, with a again, Handre Pollard, carrying their 4 halfbacks alongside for good measure.
One factor to take from this, is that in terms of squad composition, there isn’t any template. Sides minimize their fabric in accordance with the fabric they’ve at their disposal, and what works in a single camp can be unworkable in one other.
Timing can be key. It’s one factor to exchange a participant within the first week, however as elimination matches loom, insurance coverage performs – to make sure squad depth is maintained – start to lose significance. It’s about what the perfect remaining 23 can do that basically issues.
This is applicable to Australia as a lot as anybody. If issues aren’t circled towards Wales, then whoever makes up the broader squad will depend for little.
So, after a heck of a day at Geoffroy Guichard Stadium, all roads now result in Lyon. It’s going to be one huge week. Agonising and anxious. Jones versus Gatland. Boyo’s and yobbo’s wandering round in droves. All the things to play for.
